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The most likely reason the steering wheel cracks come back is because =
the steel ring inside the plastic is continuing to rust and expand. =
Eventually the steel will rust through and the steering wheel will fall =
apart. I stored my BT7 steering wheel while restoring the rest of the =
car. When I started to restore it, it fell apart as if it was filled =
with dust. You may have observed this same process when you see cracked =
concrete with rust marks around the cracks. For safety=E2=80=99s sake, I =
don=E2=80=99t recommend restoring steering wheels.
=20
=20
From: Healeys <healeys-bounces@autox.team.net> On Behalf Of Michael =
Salter
Sent: Wednesday, April 8, 2026 12:13 PM
To: healeys@autox.team.net
Subject: [Healeys] Steering wheel repair
=20
Many years ago, I repaired the large cracks in the original steering =
wheel of my Phase 1 BJ8 by grinding them out with a Dremel and filling =
the cracks with JB weld. After sanding and repainting with epoxy gloss =
black it looked great however, after a few years, more cracks appeared =
at the interface of the JB Weld and the original plastic from which the =
rim was molded. Back then I replaced the original wheel with a shiny new =
Motolita wood-rim wheel, with which I was never completely happy, and =
all was good, sort of.
I am now faced with having to do the same type of repair on the original =
wheel from the BN2 which I am currently restoring.
Before starting with the JB Weld process again I thought I should do a =
little research to see if I could find a filler material which would =
form a stronger bond with the plastic rim material.
Gemini told me that the rim was made of Bakelite but I was not =
convinced. Bakelite is a =E2=80=9Cthermoset=E2=80=9D plastic which, when =
heated, does not melt. A simple experiment quickly proved that the rim =
plastic was a thermo-plastic material because it easily melted and could =
be deformed when heated and again unlike Bakelite it dissolved in =
acetone.
I have done some Googling and it seems that it=E2=80=99s very likely =
that the plastic used for molding the rims was Tenite=E2=84=A2 cellulose =
acetate.=20
Does anyone know for sure what the original steering wheel rims were =
made from?
=20
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class=3DWordSection1><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>The most =
likely reason the steering wheel cracks come back is because the steel =
ring inside the plastic is continuing to rust and expand. Eventually the =
steel will rust through and the steering wheel will fall apart. I stored =
my BT7 steering wheel while restoring the rest of the car. When I =
started to restore it, it fell apart as if it was filled with dust. You =
may have observed this same process when you see cracked concrete with =
rust marks around the cracks. For safety=E2=80=99s sake, I don=E2=80=99t =
recommend restoring steering wheels.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </=
o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </=
o:p></span></p><div style=3D'border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 =
1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=3DMsoNormal><b><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span><=
/b><span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> =
Healeys <healeys-bounces@autox.team.net> <b>On Behalf Of =
</b>Michael Salter<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, April 8, 2026 12:13 =
PM<br><b>To:</b> healeys@autox.team.net<br><b>Subject:</b> [Healeys] =
Steering wheel repair<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Many years ago, I =
repaired the large cracks in the original steering wheel of my Phase 1 =
BJ8 by grinding them out with a Dremel and filling the cracks with JB =
weld. After sanding and repainting with epoxy gloss black it looked =
great however, after a few years, more cracks appeared at the interface =
of the JB Weld and the original plastic from which the rim was molded. =
Back then I replaced the original wheel with a shiny new Motolita =
wood-rim wheel, with which I was never completely happy, and all was =
good, sort of.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>I am now faced with =
having to do the same type of repair on the original wheel from the BN2 =
which I am currently restoring.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Before starting with the =
JB Weld process again I thought I should do a little research to see if =
I could find a filler material which would form a stronger bond with the =
plastic rim material.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Gemini told me that the =
rim was made of Bakelite but I was not convinced. Bakelite is a =
=E2=80=9Cthermoset=E2=80=9D plastic which, when heated, does not melt. A =
simple experiment quickly proved that the rim plastic was a =
thermo-plastic material because it easily melted and could be deformed =
when heated and again unlike Bakelite it dissolved in =
acetone.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>I have done some Googling =
and it seems that it=E2=80=99s very likely that the plastic used for =
molding the rims was Tenite=E2=84=A2 cellulose acetate. =
<o:p></o:p></p><p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Does anyone know for sure =
what the original steering wheel rims were made from?<o:p></o:p></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></di=
v></div></div></body></html>
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